PAGCOR chairman calls for collaboration to fight gambling addiction

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A senior figure at Philippine gaming regulator PAGCOR, has called for stakeholders in the gambling sector to work together to tackle problem gambling.

The Chairman and Chief Executive of PAGCOR, Alejandro H. Tengco, spoke at the Second International Conference on Responsible Gambling and Addiction in Quezon City. He emphasized the need for all parts of society to work together to tackle the problem.

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Tengco said, “As regulators, policymakers, industry operators, healthcare professionals, and academicians, we must not only share knowledge but also act as partners in understanding, preventing, and reducing the threats posed by problem gambling.”

He also said that the event’s theme, ‘Empowering Pathways: Problem Gambling and Gaming Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery,’ aligned with PAGCOR’s policies.

Tengco went on to cite initiatives such as the exclusion of minors, students, and government workers from gaming venues, self-exclusion programs, regulation of advertising around gambling, and links with rehabilitation organizations.

As well as urging stakeholders to work together, he also underlined that although there were social risks inherent in gambling, the safety of players can take precedence.

He added, “Gaming has inherent social risks, but with the right safeguards and collaboration among all sectors, we can ensure the safety and well-being of our players.”

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